


I'll give it to someone special

by foolishwildyouth



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 08:34:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17158727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foolishwildyouth/pseuds/foolishwildyouth
Summary: Neil has a small happy Christmas





	I'll give it to someone special

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas !

Chai tea, a splash of milk, in a mug wearing a garishly patterned sweater. 5 spoonfuls of sugar with a splash of black coffee, in a mug adorned with reindeer antlers. Neil shifted his weight so less of his sockless feet would stay pressed on their cold floors, a soft smile on his face as King slipped between his exposed legs. Sir would still be asleep but Neil filled both their feeding bowls all the same, scratching the top of King’s tiny head before returning to the kitchen counter.

He picked up both mugs and carried them out of the kitchen, down their hallway and into a barely lit room. Soft white light was shyly peeking out from the window above their bed, gently illuminating a head of golden curls, and though no other part of him was visible under their mountain of blankets, Neil’s smile widened a touch at the sight. He set his mug on his side of the bed and carefully shuffled into still warm blankets, holding the other mug in his right hand. With his left hand, he peeled away blankets from a pale but sleep-flushed face, a pair of hazel eyes greeted him and with his hand in plain sight, Neil reached forward, fingertips gently brushing hair out of his lover’s face. Giving him enough time to pull away, he leant down and pressed a gentle kiss to his temple, his “Merry Christmas” was barely above a whisper.

Andrew turned his face into his pillow and then rolled onto his back before propping his head up on the bed frame, accepting his coffee, taking Neil’s hand and kissing the back of it. Neil mirrored Andrew’s slumped sitting position so they would both be under the covers and hidden from the chill. The cats wandered in soon enough and sat in their laps, keeping them warm for the time being. They sat and drank their drinks side by side in silence, not needing words to express their contentedness. Everything seemed in between sleep and rising, the snow that fell overnight quieting any noise from the outside world, leaving Neil and Andrew in their bubble with the scent of pine from their tree in the living room.

Neil had always marveled at the way other people spent Christmas. His unconventional upbringing meant it was just another day. In his father’s home it meant desperately trying to look like he was not upset about not being able to spend it the way his schoolmates did and on the run with his mother it meant not being able to buy a warm meal because most shops would be closed. Years away from both of those lives, Neil still did not understand how Christmas was meant to be spent as he had never been religious, and the foxes tried instilling in him the traditions that come with Christmas morning but all the gift giving made him slightly uncomfortable.

It was not until they explained to him that it was not the gifts that made it Christmas but spending it with people you love and who love you in return that it made sense. Each year he spent Christmas with the foxes felt like Christmas, which made Matt burst into tears when Neil had said it aloud. Years out from Palmetto, the foxes all had their own plans on Christmas day but all promised to meet before New Years to celebrate and exchange gifts, so he and Andrew were left to their own devices.

Andrew would agree that Christmas had never been conventional for him either, jumping from foster home to foster home meant he hardly ever got presents growing up, who would want to spend money on a kid that was not really their own? So Andrew did not care enough about the day to resent or look forward to it. Cass tried her best to make it feel like Christmas, but Andrew did not have fond memories of Cass.

They sat in silence for most of the morning until they felt more awake. With rumbling stomachs they shuffled over to the kitchen, Andrew making more coffee and pancakes, Neil setting up the couch with more blankets and bringing out his gifts for Andrew while his back was turned to the stove.

He opened the front door and let the cats out to do their business while Andrew finished up breakfast and by the time they headed back into the relative warmth of their apartment, Neil’s body was ice. With Andrew still at the stove, Neil walked over and plastered his front to Andrew’s back, leeching warmth and thawing out, leaving a kiss on the back of Andrew’s neck.

Andrew only burned the pancakes a little bit. And if his cheeks flushed a little darker when Neil kissed and thanked him for another year spent together, well, Merry Christmas to Neil.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!


End file.
